Luke Thinks of Grace
by Briee
Summary: Luke thinks of Grace. Companion piece to "Grace thinks of Luke"


**Author's note: Alright, so this is the long awaited other half of "Grace Thinks of Luke" called, as you can probably guess, "Luke Thinks of Grace". Hopefully, it will do justice to the other half of the story.**

**--**

She tormented my mind day and night. She was in my thoughts and in my heart from the moment I met her. I knew that it could never be and yet I hoped and wished that she would be mine one day.

Every day seemed to go into a state of fibrillation at the sight of her, and each day my heart broke because I knew she would never love me.

She didn't love. She was anti therefore it was impossible.

Or so she let everyone think.

Love wasn't about who you were. It was about the chemicals in your brain sending off a reaction and your hormones going crazy because of it. I won't bore you with the minute details, but that's what the basic scientific explanation is.

Love, to me, what something more than a scientific explanations and I think that maybe it was because of that reason I was afraid to admit my feelings to anyone.

It didn't stop me from wanting her.

--

The first time I saw her, I was walking down the high school hallway with Friedman, a boy that had just started talking to me. She had on her earphones, music blasting so loud that she wouldn't have heard anything.

I suppose that I should explain from the start that she was no soft embodiment of femininity. Even in an era where girls habitually wore pants, Grace took things to extremes. I could not discern her figure because it was enclosed in a stiff leather motorcycle jacket. If she paid any attention to her hair it must only be to make sure it was carefully plastered to her head.

I stopped walking; I was so shocked at my reaction towards such a seemingly undazzling girl walking down the hall.

A girl behind me bumped into me and Friedman turned around, having noticed that I was no longer next to him.

During this whole time, she didn't even look towards me and I felt crestfallen.

It was literally love at first sight.

I said my apologies to the girl who bumped into me, who turned out to be Glynis, and invited her to walk with us to our first AP chemistry class

When I walked into that class, I sat down next to two other boys that looked as interested in science as I was. Glynis and Friedman sat down on the opposite side. Students filed in just before the bell rang, but I was unaware of it happening because I was still stuck on the image of that girl. Who was she?

The bell rang and we pulled out our books. Suddenly the door opened again and I looked up. That girl from the hall had just walked into the class.

"Grace Polk, this is not a good way to start the year. Late for the very first class."

"I'm just letting you get used to it."

"Miss Polk, I would rather not have to give you detention."

"So don't."

"Just try not to let it happen again."

"I make no promises." Grace looked around the room, looking at me for a moment and began walking this way. For a moment, I thought that she might talk to me but I couldn't think of anything she would have to say except maybe that I was sitting in the chair she usually sat in. I rejected that thought almost as immediately as it entered my brain because it was only the first day -- therefore impossible for seats to already be taken.

She was getting closer and I could feel my palms begin to sweat, but she passed right by me and sat down in the seat behind me. I took a chance and glanced behind me, noticing that she was sitting next to a pale, withdrawn boy who was rumoured to a drug addict. He nodded to her and she repeated the gesture. That eliminated any thoughts of them being a couple. She faced back to the front and I had to turn my head quite fast so that she did not notice my looking at her.

With her behind me, it was going to be torture.

--

My first encounter with Grace was something I vowed never to forget although I'm sure Grace would tell me I was being stupid.

When my sister Joan decided to join our class, I was shocked. She was neither smart nor studious and I wondered what she was doing. I gave her the benefit of the doubt though when I noticed her sitting next to Grace and the pale boy, whose name I found out was Adam Rove.

My mind suddenly began inventing scenarios where Joan and Grace would become friends and Grace would come over to visit. Maybe in turn she would become my friend and see where things led us.

But as the days passed and as Grace seemed to rebel against my sister's friendship, I grew weary of Joan's friend-making skills. Surely Grace couldn't resist that long?

--

Applications for the science fair were soon my main thought. Glynis and Friedman, who had recently moved so that they sat next to me, were excitingly talking about it and Glynis asked me if I wanted to be her partner. I declined, already thinking of good ideas that Grace would like to do with me.

When Friedman commented about Grace being "Avril La Grace", I suddenly exclaimed "Grace Polk is a lot smarter than people think."

Friedman told me I was gay.

--

I had a long, very awkward conversation with Kevin, in which he told me that I was nowhere near gay, and that I should not believe in all the silly stereotypes that surrounded the concept. After that I felt new- found confidence.

After school one day, I asked Grace if she would like to be my partner in the science fair. She told me to ask her another time.

So I did.

And she said yes.

I thought that my happiness would explode from my chest like the monster in ALIEN, even though it was scientifically impossible and the emotions didn't fit the metaphor either.

We ended up building a rail gun, which I never thought would work. But when it did, it almost seemed like a sign. Was it possible that Grace and I, as impossible as it may seem, could actually work as a couple?

During this time though, we had gone to the Crystal Ball together and we had our first kiss. Okay, so I will be the first one to admit that it wasn't a real kiss. The girl claimed afterward that she had kissed me only to halt rumours that she was a lesbian.

That was obviously not true and I wondered if this was just the beginning of the changes between our relationship.

--

Somehow though, when things between me and Grace were getting nowhere, Friedman convinced me to get together with Glynis.

I wasn't with her for very long, but every day that I was with her was another day that I wished she were a different blond. I wanted Grace so fiercely that I had to break up with Glynis. That, and I saw the hurt in Grace's eyes every time I passed her, which told me exactly how she felt about me without my asking.

I bought Grace a geode and gave it to her, which was my way of telling her that I liked her. She seemed so puzzled as to its meaning that I could have laughed.

--

On the last day of sophomore year, Joan fainted and had to be rushed to the hospital. It turned out to be Lyme Disease, and a long story in itself. But Grace stuck with us during the long wait for the diagnosis, proving that she had a strong streak of loyalty under the cynical pose. When news came that Joan was responding well to treatment, the parents urged as to go home and get some rest.

We walked side by side as I walked me home that night. She told me that I could have gone home with my brother, but I told her that is would be "un-gentlemanly." She didn't disagree.

"This is a lot of walking. Do you always walk this much?" I asked.

"It's where I do my thinking."

I was going to reply to it, but my mouth just began spewing out words about the stars and light pollution.

"Why did you give me a rock?" she suddenly asked me, cutting off my scientific rant.

"A geode," I corrected. She told me that to her, it was a rock. "It was a gesture of friendship... and possibly courtship."

She laughed. "Courtship? I think that went out with the corset or the walkman or something."

I was a little put off by this. "I don't follow trends."

"Did you break up with Glynis for me?"

I muttered "Ridiculous" but I felt hurt saying it. She agreed with me that it was ridiculous.

She started to walk away but I called her back. "Why would it be ridiculous?"

"I'm your sister's friend."

"Right."

"I'm older than you.

"By a year. Eight months to be exact." That implied that our times in the womb had overlapped by a month, but that was too dorky for even me to say.

"I have a reputation. I worked hard to build it. Know what it is?"

"You hate me." I was almost waiting for her to agree with me so that I could go home heartbroken.

"I'm anti." She didn't agree nor deny the statement. I asked her to what she was anti, and in response she asked "What do you got?"

"You're never going to fall in love." I wanted her to agree so I could stop this silly infatuation, but again she ignored my question.

"I won't let myself be courted by a geek. Plus, what would people think if they found out you were giving me things?"

"What do you care what people think, I mean, if you're anti? Shouldn't you like the idea of us, if you're so anti?" She told him that she wasn't _that_ anti. Even she had her limits. "Oh, so you're moderately anti." I was pushing it, but I was just getting so upset.

I started rambling on about love and brain chemicals. Suddenly, she yelled, "I'm not into you!"

I looked at her in the eyes, hoping she couldn't see how hurt I was, but I saw something in them that told me she didn't feel that way.

We simultaneously leaned in and kissed.

--

We spent most of the summer together, but we never labelled anything. It was more for her being able to accept it than anything else.

We began "seeing" each other, which was more like a five-minute make out session that was part of her contract.

I was glad when she ripped it up as my birthday present and I could finally talk to her in public. We were never like the other couples that held hands and kissed in public. We never had titles. I didn't belong to her and she didn't belong to me. We just fit.

High school was no longer a waste of time and stupid. It was exciting and any moments that I got to spend with Grace were the best.

--

When she left to go to college, she broke it off.

"Look Geek, I'm sorry, okay? You're still in high school and I'm off to college. Long distances don't work." She then added that maybe I would find someone better suited for me; someone like me.

There was no point in arguing that I hadn't been able to be with someone that was like me.

--

All through post-secondary education, I tried to keep in touch with Grace but she didn't seem to want anything to do with me. I gave up after a year and a half of trying. But no matter how many dates I went on, or how many girls were interested in me, I couldn't stop thinking of Grace.

When I went home to visit my family, I would take long walks around the town hoping to catch a glimpse of the only girl I ever loved. I never found her though.

--

In their college-senior year Adam and Joan got engaged, which everyone foresaw. When I got to our old house to celebrate, I saw the look all our old friends gave me. It was pity. Everyone who knew Grace and I were sure that we would end up together. Years had passed though and I was sure that Grace had met someone better than me who could control her. That's why she wouldn't answer my e-mails and letters, or so I had told myself.

I walked around my old house, remembering our old times and all of a sudden, I saw her. The girl of my dreams. The one I never forgot or stopped loving.

Grace Polk was here, and I was so close to her. And she looked absolutely beautiful.

I made my way around the crowd, never taking my eyes off of her. I saw her go outside and I followed her.

She turned around and stared at me for a moment. "What the hell do you want?" She was going to try and push me away, I could tell. But I was older now and I knew how to deal with her.

"Grace..."

"No! You can't do this to me."

"Do what?"

"This! Corner me and try to get me to talk to you. I know what you want! You want to know why I broke up with you." All I did was look at her. "I'll tell you, but you have to leave me alone." She didn't even wait for me to reply. "I broke up with you because I knew you could do better than me!"

She began crying and I moved towards her instinctively. Her palm connected with my face so quickly, it barely registered as I staggered back for a moment. Nothing could stop me though and I moved towards her, grabbing her wrists. She tried fighting me, but I was stronger than her.

I slammed her into the wall against the house, although I hadn't meant to. Sexual tension built between us both, but I didn't like the image of violence. I willed myself to let her go, whereupon she grinned and slammed ME into the wall of my own house. She kissed me. My body felt on fire and as if my instinct, I wanted to take her to my room and not come out for days.

We went back inside an hour later, Grace hopelessly trying to re-tie the buttons that I had skilfully unbuttoned and I brushing off the dirt from my pants.

Joan gave us both a strange look but seemed to decide it wasn't worth asking. Grace gave me a smile before walking towards Joan. I couldn't help but grin.

--

I ended up being Adam's best man at the wedding, and Grace was Joan's maid of honour. Grace and I would meet up in secret, like when we were younger, although she wouldn't be counting out five minutes in her head. In fact, things got a lot more intense than they had ever been in the biology closet.

I decided to propose to her a little while after Joan and Adam got back from their honeymoon. I had lost her once before and I didn't want to give her another opportunity to leave again. That night, the way she looked at me when she accepted, I knew that there was nothing to fear; she loved me just as much as I loved her. That night, we made love for the first time, and I knew we were meant to be together.

The chemicals in my brain had even told me so.

The End

--

**Author's note: Ah, I am so glad to get this one out. I was thinking and thinking on how I could write it in Luke's point of view, which is hard because I am neither a boy nor a scientist. But I think it's pretty good since I don't really write in a boy's point of view. **


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